House Republicans have adopted a rule used periodically over the past 150 years that allows lawmakers to speed up and streamline votes to dismantle federal programs and fire federal employees.
Five Democrats are refusing to vote on a signature bill until the Congressional Budget Office delivers its full cost estimate. For a small agency, the CBO can hold a lot of legislative sway.
The CBO analysis of the new health care bill not only shows that tens of millions would lose insurance. It is a major shift in this country’s attitudes and policies toward helping the poor.
Deborah Lucas, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Congress created the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 40 years ago to provide lawmakers with information independent of the influence of the executive branch. The CBO’s most important job…